How to Choose the Right Sofa for Open Plan Living

Open plan living - whether it’s a kitchen-lounge-diner in a modern flat or a sprawling, converted Victorian terrace - invites freedom, flow, and light. But it also presents a particular challenge: how do you choose furniture that anchors the space without visually overwhelming it? More specifically, how do you choose the right sofa - that one essential piece that quietly dictates how you use and feel in the space?

We think the sofa matters more than most people realise. It’s not just about style (though that matters, of course). It’s about scale, placement, modularity, and how the sofa interacts with zones around it - both functionally and visually.

beautiful mustard airb sofa bed from Furl

Open-Plan Living is as Freeing As It Is Complex

You gain flexibility, yes - room to breathe, more light, a sense of cohesion between kitchen, lounge and dining zones. But with all that freedom comes responsibility: choosing the right furniture becomes essential, because every piece must hold its own and play well with others. And nothing anchors an open-plan space quite like a sofa. Or rather - the right sofa.

It’s the visual and emotional centre of the room; it helps delineate zones, signals where conversations begin and days wind down. A poor choice will unbalance everything else - too large, and it swallows the space; too soft, and it collapses into nothing; too harsh, and it disrupts the flow entirely. We’ve seen it all.

So - how do you choose a sofa that not only fits, but elevates?

beautiful modern home

First: Think About Function, Not Form

It’s tempting to lead with colour or fabric - we all do it - but the first decision should always be how the sofa will serve your space. Is it a casual lounging zone for two? A hosting hotspot for Friday nights? A transitional piece that softens the line between kitchen and living area?

In open-plan layouts, a sofa isn’t simply ‘against a wall’ - because often, there is no wall. That means it needs to hold its own in the centre of the room, visible from multiple angles. And it needs to complement not clash with nearby furnishings: dining tables, breakfast bars, even cabinetry. In some cases, your sofa will be the visual divider - separating lounge from kitchen without needing a partition. In others, it’ll need to nestle quietly into a corner while letting other zones shine.

So before you obsess over velvet vs linen, ask yourself: What do I need this sofa to do?

Modularity Can Change Everything

Corner sofas, L-shapes, chaise ends - these aren’t just stylistic choices. They’re tools to create definition and intimacy inside large or loosely defined spaces. In fact, a well-placed corner sofa can function as a soft wall - turning a vast, echoing room into a warm, conversational nook without blocking light or flow.

Better still? Modular systems let you adapt as you live. Many of our customers begin with one setup, then expand or reconfigure later - adding a section, removing an arm, shifting the orientation when their space (or life) changes. If you’re working with an evolving household or multifunctional space, a modular or sectional system is often the smartest long-term move.

Some of our most popular convertible seating options for modern living were designed with exactly this kind of flexibility in mind.

Don’t Underestimate Proportion

In an open-plan setting, scale is everything. A sofa that feels compact in a traditional room can suddenly seem tiny in a high-ceilinged kitchen-lounge space; equally, a bulky three-seater might dominate a more modest layout if the surrounding furniture is lightweight or minimal.

What matters most is balance. If your dining set is slim and your coffee table is airy, your sofa should visually match - think clean arms, lifted legs, perhaps a lower back. If you’ve opted for solid wood cabinetry or heavier finishes elsewhere, a more grounded sofa may suit better.

And don’t forget depth: a deep, lounge-style sofa might invite luxurious reclining, but it can also reduce circulation space - particularly around islands or dining zones. Measure twice. Then walk the floor. Map it out with masking tape if needed. It’s not fussy - it’s smart.

Cohesion is Built Through Tone, Not Matching Sets

Gone are the days of rigidly coordinated furniture sets (and good riddance). But some harmony is needed - especially in open-plan designs where one space bleeds into another. The sofa doesn’t need to match your dining chairs or bar stools exactly, but it should complement them.

Think in layers: warm leathers work beautifully alongside timber floors or brass accents. Cool-toned greys or blues can sit comfortably near marble, chrome or pale wood. Fabric choice matters too - velvets add richness, linens feel lighter, boucle introduces texture.

We’d argue that open-plan living demands this kind of material mixing - it adds interest without cluttering. But your palette should still speak the same language, even if each piece says something slightly different.

modern home with open plan living
beautiful home with spacious living room

Smart Linen Management

One of the simplest ways to add value in open-plan spaces is by choosing furniture that works harder. A sofa bed, for instance, gives you a guest room without needing an extra bedroom. A storage chaise hides blankets, games, cables, whatever doesn’t belong on display. And a sofa with a narrower frame can still offer full seating without compromising walking paths.

If you’re comparing choosing between luxury and budget sofas, keep in mind that price isn’t just about comfort - it often reflects engineering, space efficiency, and longevity, all of which become even more important in rooms that are always on show.

Lighting Will Change Everything

One overlooked aspect of open-plan furniture planning? Light. In traditional rooms, lighting is often fixed - a central pendant, perhaps a few sconces. But in open-plan spaces, lighting becomes zonal. Your sofa needs to work with that - placed to take advantage of ambient light during the day and support accent lighting at night.

We often recommend placing your sofa so it feels naturally grounded: backed by a console, near a window, or framed by a rug. That physical ‘base’ creates a sense of belonging - especially in rooms where everything else is mobile or multifunctional.

And Finally - It’s About Comfort

Sounds obvious. But comfort isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some people love a low-slung, relaxed sofa; others need firmer support. What matters is that the sofa suits you - your body, your habits, your home. The most elegant sofa in the world is useless if you never want to sit on it.

So don’t be swayed solely by trend or aesthetic. Sit on it. Lie on it. Picture yourself watching TV on it, hosting friends, working on your laptop - whatever real life looks like in your space.

Open-plan living is about lifestyle, not just layout. And your sofa? It’s the centre of it all.

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David Norman

David Norman is the founder of Furl, a UK-based furniture brand known for redefining how people live with space-saving, design-led storage beds and sofa beds.

With almost two decades of hands-on experience in product design, manufacturing, and brand strategy, David has built Furl into a trusted name among urban professionals seeking calm, clutter-free homes. His work has been recognised for its innovation and craftsmanship, with features in publications such as Yahoo Finance and The Telegraph.

David continues to lead Furl’s creative direction, developing furniture that solves real-world problems without compromise.